ShimmeringSword

The Widowmaker

Sorry for the slower rate of posts this month. My team is in crackdown mode trying to get as much done as we can for Wave One of the Kickstarter.

I've got a lot of old content I'm having to run back over to make sure our models are extra polished, and have a lot of new content I want to show you but is sitting at 90% done so I'm holding off.

While my other guys rush out new mechs and finalize their old ones, I'm tackling the 4 Hero mechs from the KS.
Widowmaker is the biggest o...

Bushwacker Concept Sketch

Here's a favorite of many I think, particularly the crowd that grew up on MW3 and MW4.

The Bushwacker has always had a pretty clean shape that quickly starts to break apart if you change too much about it, so I didn't aim to reinvent the wheel here.

The one thing I did stray from on the classic look is going for the MW4 style shoulder launcher. The old X shape is fairly distinct, but also fairly questionable haha. What do you think?

This mech is also one of my picks for not ...

On Marauders, Poverty, and Design Philosophy

Nice to see everyone jump in on the Marauder discussion today. Plenty like what I posted, many have concerns, a few hate it. I'll tell you, I've been having the "marauder discussion" for 6 years, it's why I'm here today redesigning the look of your favorite game.

Welcome to my TED Talk. Yes, that is a Marauder IIC preview.

Those of you who really dislike what I did with the Marauder II, I fully understand your position. You love the Mad, you love the classic look, you probably lik...

Marauder II Concept Sketch

The powers above wanted a few tweaks to my old Marauder II design so this is what I've come up with, not sure yet if they'll like it.

Do you like it?

More Rear Design Shots

I heard you like butts, so here's a butt-ton of butts!

More Prototypes

Pretty Vulture anyone? It's scale isn't quite right, but the details are all there.

Painting as usual by Dale Eadeh.

Almost at $700/mo funding!

Doing amazing guys. This level of support has really changed my life lately.

Notable in my funding goals is that I'd quit my side job at $1200/mo. With more imminent income from Battletech Kickstarter work I've already gone ahead and made that plunge, it's still a little stressful.

I'm leaving up that $1200 goal as a true marker of more substantial financial stability and freedom. At that point all my monthly expenses would be covered, minus private health insurance and money to p...

Urbanmech 3D WIP

History begins now.

Gargoyle 3D Sculpt

Here's the Gargoyle sculpt done by Alan Blackwell. Design by Harri Kallio starting with my Executioner legs.

He's an ugly boy, but I think we made him passable :P

Green Burd Prototypes

Check out this sick (wip) paint work by Dale Eadeh, of Hardware Studios fame.

My Adder model, his Summoner model (he's also done the Shadow Cat, Grendel, and is working on the Hellbringer)

Linebacker Concept Sketch

Time for another design, the Linebacker.

Not the most inspiring mech, but I understand to some it's a staple heavy.
The old art came with a simple block torso, and practically unusable legs haha. I mostly referenced the Matt Plog lineart version, as the original lines and CCG art were near universally terrible.

For the hip hating crowd, this guy will take a bit more effort than the nova/viper/etc, but if you can cut out the back corners of the torso you'll be able to attach the...

Urbanmech Concept Sketch

We all know it's coming, you all want it (or despize it), here it is.

Bulk of the concept here is Bishop Steiners work, with a bit of draw over of my own to get it across the finish line. Posting here because he technically can't yet himself.

Go check out Bishops patreon page where he posts lots of artwork (that isn't NDA).
https://www.patreon.com/user/overview?u=19757595

New Nova Cat Head

This look better?
Still channeling the classic look while including what I can from the MWDA head that isn't too disruptive.

The joke though? Most of the effect is essentially tilting the head down a few degrees. Guess what happens when you're viewing your minis from above? :D

Regardless, thanks for the feedback Patreon crew!

Nova Cat Head

The MWDA Nova Cat head is certainly more exciting than the original, but is it faithful enough for the masses?
Which would you prefer? Enter opinion here.

MWDA down slopes the top, adds a chin piece, and gas mask type filters. Also less cockpit glass potentially.

Nova Cat Concept Sketch

I know a lot of people love this mech, and that might be because I consider it one of the best aged mechs on Battletech. Each new iteration of the design has changed so little because there's not much wrong with it to start with. Do yee agree on my hypothesis?

Not everyone will love it of course, it has a hint of "ugly" in its design aesthetic.

I stuck mostly to Matt Plog's lines, in fact I started by drawing right over his, removing the perspective as I went. I took a lot of his ...

Master and Minion 4

And here they are ready to go! Excellent work by Dave Fanjoy, check his FB page out here:  https://www.facebook.com/Heavygauss-Models-and-Minis-1762090644039139/ 

Now we'll see in a few days how badly I control them on the field lol.

Warhawk Concept Sketch

Time for another iconic big boy. One I've drawn before, and I played heavily in mwo for it's mobility, relative compactness (compared to a Dire Whale or Kodiak barn door), slapping a pair of UAC10's on it.

Dire legs come in free, and I reused the upper arms, some of the lower arms.
Torso will likely get some overall proportion adjustments, but I think the details are there. Don't quite have it approved yet though, as upper management is quite tied up between the KS and GenCon.

...

Ice Ferret

Here's yet another done by Harri Kallio. He tends to get a lot of the mechs I'm less excited about, but he loves all of them, so he's not picky :P

Might get a few proportional tweaks still, but I think the rest is there.
I'd have designed it a little differently myself, but this is one I'd oddly painted years ago.

Fire Moth Concept Sketch

Throwing this an a few others up to overtake some of the public art announcements :P

Another one by Harri Kallio, though I jumped in too and edited much of the torso and some of the arms. Legs get carried over from the Mist Lynx.

Gargoyle Concept Sketch

Throwing this an a few others up to overtake some of the public art announcements :P

I had Harri Kallio design the torso and arms for the Garg. Comes with some MWO inspiration but with our own twist too. 3D model is already coming along nicely.

Master and Minion 3

Getting closer.

What are your opinions on non-canon schemes that are just meant to look cool?

Is this one cool? Would you rock this loudness?

Something that often bugs me about schemes in BT is so many are damn boring, often flat base colors with a stripe down the mech somewhere. Don't get me started on Black/Red schemes lol.
When canon does go bold like Marik Militia it's an iffy tone of purple and the red/blue doesn't synergize.
Some schemes are cool, but they're rar...

Kit Fox Concept Sketch

Cute Fox time!

I reused Cougar and Adder parts for this one so it was another quick concept. Came out quite nice I think.

Slower art posting lately considering all the mechs I have on my plate because I've been helping coordinate with Randal, Brent, and Ray on final mech selections. Also madly recruiting new 3D modelers to sculpt everything.

Banshee Concept Sketch

The official Battletech twitter posted this up so I'll get it out here too in case you missed it.

Lots of reference options for this guy. The original art, various different looks, an old redesign of my own that Jon Paulson commissioned but never utilized, a discarded cover version by Alex Iglesias. Then my final spin.

Sunglasses still in style.

Master and Minion 2

More progress on my Masters and Minions force by Dave Fanjoy. I wonder who the lucky players will be coming for my head and dibs at these.

I hear a lot of Masters will be playing with new Clan mechs and Classics. Some attendees will be going home with very valuable prize minis.

Hellbringer Concept Sketch

Ahem, Ladies and Gentlemen.

Need I say anything?

Master and Minion

Dave Fanjoy is painting up my mechs for Masters and Minions at GenCon, and I've thrown him quite a curve ball on the scheme. Non-canon, bold, and a bit wacky.
The stripe sections will be a warm yellow.

Go check out Dave's FB page: https://www.facebook.com/Heavygauss-Models-and-Minis-1762090644039139/

I've asked for WIP shots (and hopefully higher res) to show you guys ...

Elemental Edit 2

Contentious posting continues. Thank you everyone for the good itemized feedback last round. You were specific and numerous enough that I tallied those opinions and used them to guide my new version. However, that tally largely agreed with my personal willingness to apply the requested changes.

Shown here, my original on the left, the requested (demanded) edit on the right, and my compromise in the middle.

If you couldn't change/mix/match any more, which of the 3 would you want? 2019-07-16 20:37:56 +0000 UTC View Post

Elemental Edits?

I had this edit sheet passed down to me, and while I'm cool with the idea of some changes, others just don't sit right with me.

So, what do you think?
-Bigger laser
-Less head armor
-Less chest slope
-No underside grills
-Bullet Bill missiles
-Full knee armor
-No ankle flexibility for more armor
-Chunkier toes

What do you like or dislike of that lot?

You all clearly had no trouble telling my design was an Elemental, so do we really need to keep more ...

Crusader Concept Sketch

Story time. About two years ago we were wrapping up our mech selections for the Game of Armored Combat box, and decided to throw IWM a few more designs to release. They had the Shadowhawk and Ost Scout, were just releasing the Wasp, and had a Valkyrie on the way. The Crusader and Marauder II were going to be next, in time for Gencon.
Then the battle started, and all that was swept away.

I was mid design process for the Crusader, that you can see on the left, and dropped it there.
...

Y'all

Better brace yourself for missile fists.

RIP shoulder missile fans.